This Bridge No Longer Exists!

This historic bridge was demolished and replaced in 2009!

This is perhaps the most severely spalling bridge to appear on
this website. Perhaps a bad concrete mix in 1922, coupled with the use of salt
on roads today, have combined to bring about the sad fate of this bridge. Oddly
though, for all this spalling, the bridge's structure is apparently in fair
condition, as no weight limit is posted. The spalling is unimaginable. The shape
of the decorative pierced openings on the girders have deformed, nearly the
entire top layer of cement on the outmost halves of the girder is gone. The ends
of the bridge were patched at some time, and the spalling has continued beneath
this patching, and the patch itself has been breaking up. The spalling, which
turns solid concrete into a pile of stones and dust have become suitable for
grass to begin growing on the girders! Perhaps the only good that has come of
this is an opportunity to see inside a reinforced concrete bridge of the 1920s.
The main reinforcing rods (apparently acting like the top chord) are quite
large, and look somewhat like the decorative twisted steel that uninformed
companies call "wrought iron". Smaller, yet similar rods run vertically in the
girders, acting like vertical members. Finally, tiny wire-like reinforcing rods
are visible in spots as well, for holding smaller portions of concrete together.

This bridge is noteworthy for not only its early 1922
construction date, but also for being a large 90 foot span that also features a
notable skew. Most of the 90 foot plan structures are not skewed.

The
Lincoln Road Bridge was built to serve the M-46 state trunkline, which
originally ran along Lincoln Road in this area. The 1922 Biennial Report of the
Michigan State Highway Department shows a 220 Ton Test Load placed on the deck
of the bridge, a stunning image that shows the shear strength of Michigan's
concrete camelback bridges.

Among Gratiot County's three curved chord through girder
bridges, this was the only one to appear on MDOT's website. This is apparently
because of its older construction date. Indeed the bridge is significant as one
of the first examples of its type to be built, and is one of the oldest
remaining today. But it is worth noting that this structure type was only built
for about a decade. Even the last girder to be built in Michigan was under ten
years newer than this bridge. With perhaps only a few dozen of this structure
type remaining, and that number decreasing, all of these bridges are
significant, including the others in Gratiot County. Getting Gratiot County to
preserve all three of their concrete girder bridges might prove difficult.
Perhaps they might agree to preserve one of them however. If this was the case,
logic would initially seem to suggest that the Lincoln Road Bridge should be
that one, as it was determined to have the most historic significance. However,
it may be pertinent, to suggest that the St.
Charles Road Bridge might be the way to go. The difference of historic
important between a handful or years, versus the structural quality of the
actual structure suggest that the St. Charles Road Bridge is more important
today. Restoring the St. Charles Road Bridge would be less costly, and because
less concrete patching would be needed on its comparatively pristine surface, it
would retain a greater degree of historic integrity. It is quite unfortunate,
but visually, there is very little left of the Lincoln Road Bridge to preserve.
The damage has already been done for the most part. On the other hand, if
funding worked more effectively in Michigan, repairs would be less costly that
demolition and replacement, and then it would be sensible to restore all three
of Gratiot County's girder bridges!

MDOT's explanation for this bridge answers a question some
people might have. Usually with a girder bridge, such as a plate girder, one
expects to see the floor beams running under the deck between the girders.
However, with most of these concrete girder bridges, those girders are cast
integrally with the deck itself, rendering them invisible. Some bridges like the
Griswold Road Bridge actually
has these beams visible.

Constructed
in 1921-1922 from a MSHD standard design, the structure is comprised of
a pair of 90-foot, arched concrete through girders that rest on angled
concrete brackets cantilevered from the skewed concrete abutments. A
dozen concrete floor beams span between the two girders; these are cast
integrally with the 20-foot-wide concrete deck. The arched girders
feature typical MSHD detailing, with spandrel walls punctuated by five
small arched cutouts aligned over a series of arched recessed panels.
The lack of corbeled bulkheads at the girders' ends illustrates the
bridge's early construction. Although the Lincoln Road Bridge suffers
from severe concrete spalling and Armco guardrails have been installed
at the approaches, it retains a relatively high degree of structural
integrity.

Statement of Significance

The Michigan State Highway Department first developed plans for a
long-span concrete through girder bridge with arched girders on
cantilevered brackets in the 1921-22 biennium. "These designs have
curved top chords and bottom chord brackets," MSHD reported in its Ninth
Biennial Report, making them suitable for relatively long-span
applications. The first curved-chord girder was a 90-foot span built in
1922 over the Raisin River at Tecumseh. This was followed in the 1920s
by a series of curved girders used in single-span or multiple-span
configurations. Among the earliest of these new bridges was the span
that MSHD designed in 1921 for the Pine Creek crossing in Gratiot
County. The Lincoln Road structure, like the Tecumseh Bridge, featured a
90-foot span. Since its completion in 1922, the Lincoln Road Bridge has
functioned in place, essentially unaltered. With its 1921-1922
construction date and its 90-foot span, it is today noteworthy as on of
the earliest and longest remaining examples in Michigan of the MSHD-designed,
arched through girder.

Photos and Videos: Lincoln Road Bridge

Available Photo Galleries and Videos

Click on a thumbnail or gallery name below to visit that
particular photo gallery. If videos are available, click on a video name to
view and/or download that particular video.

A collection of overview photos, taken March 15, 2009. For the best visual immersion and full detail, or for use as a
desktop background, this gallery presents the photos for this bridge in
the original digital camera resolution.

A collection of overview photos, taken March 15, 2009. View the photos for this bridge in a reduced size which is useful for mobile/smartphone users, modem
(dial-up) users, or those who do not wish to wait for the longer
download times of the full-size photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer (great for mobile users) by clicking the link below.
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A collection of overview and detail photos, taken Winter 2006. This photo gallery contains a combination of Original / Full Sized photos and Mobile/Smartphone Optimized (Reduced Size) photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer by clicking the link below.
Browse Gallery With Popup Viewer